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celebration
November 2009 
HAPPY DIWALI!
Posted on Oct 27th, 2008
by 
Meenakshi
Meenakshi
Oct. 27th this year is Chhoti Diwali in North India [small Diwali] and Deepavali in South India.
Oct. 28th is Diwali-- a celebration when I miss being with my family in India! Usually everyone visits each other, giving sweets; offering prayers and enjoying each day of the celebration.
[The words Diwali and Deepavali are used interchangeably in India.]
I'll never forget traveling with my family by train from North to South India one Diwali season and seeing the beautiful earthen lights flickering in villages and towns and cities that we passed by.
Now, people often pollute the atmosphere by too many firecrackers, but the fun of phooljharies [sparklers] is infectious! Not those noise "bombs"-firecrackers, though!
But we've celebrated it in the U.S. with friends and new-found family of friends. Everyone likes to dress up in Indian clothes and jewelery, get henna designs on their hands, and dance the dandiya raas. It's bringing in the light of our own lives on earth, along with the light of the gods into the dark night of the new moon.
If we have people over at our home, the kids enact one of the stories of Diwali.
My favorite memory here; is of dancing the dandiya raas with a Muslim friend [Diwali is a Hindu festival] from Pakistan [which is supposed to be our enemy country]. An outward dance, an inner celebration. Our friends from Ecuador, Uruguay, Greece, Portugal, and other U.S. states, joined in.
And when we lived in Singapore, another friend, also Muslim, who sat down with the invited kids in our house– from China, Singapore, Malaysia, Europe, Australia and India– encouraged them to pick up the folk musical instruments, and involved them in the impromptu telling of the story of Diwali.
It is truly a festival that all enjoy. Light indeed.
__________
Information on Denise/flowerchild's post on the Living Metaphysics pod and Eli's blog.
Oct. 28th is Diwali-- a celebration when I miss being with my family in India! Usually everyone visits each other, giving sweets; offering prayers and enjoying each day of the celebration.
[The words Diwali and Deepavali are used interchangeably in India.]
I'll never forget traveling with my family by train from North to South India one Diwali season and seeing the beautiful earthen lights flickering in villages and towns and cities that we passed by.
Diwali --rows of light
Now, people often pollute the atmosphere by too many firecrackers, but the fun of phooljharies [sparklers] is infectious! Not those noise "bombs"-firecrackers, though!
But we've celebrated it in the U.S. with friends and new-found family of friends. Everyone likes to dress up in Indian clothes and jewelery, get henna designs on their hands, and dance the dandiya raas. It's bringing in the light of our own lives on earth, along with the light of the gods into the dark night of the new moon.
If we have people over at our home, the kids enact one of the stories of Diwali.
My favorite memory here; is of dancing the dandiya raas with a Muslim friend [Diwali is a Hindu festival] from Pakistan [which is supposed to be our enemy country]. An outward dance, an inner celebration. Our friends from Ecuador, Uruguay, Greece, Portugal, and other U.S. states, joined in.
And when we lived in Singapore, another friend, also Muslim, who sat down with the invited kids in our house– from China, Singapore, Malaysia, Europe, Australia and India– encouraged them to pick up the folk musical instruments, and involved them in the impromptu telling of the story of Diwali.
It is truly a festival that all enjoy. Light indeed.
__________
Information on Denise/flowerchild's post on the Living Metaphysics pod and Eli's blog.
Access: Public
Happy Diwali Meenakshi…
I'll never forget Diwali either! Two times while I was in India during Diwali festival…the fircrackers going off for over a week….hahaha! ….the rickshaw wallas swerving to miss them!..The atmoshere is truly electric at this time of year.
Namaste,
Soul
Happy Diwali, Meenakshi. I'm glad that you have been able to celebrate this holiday and share the light wherever you are.
Soul, wow! so you saw Diwali in India. Somehow I think I don't enjoy it there any more actually –coming to think of it! My son was born a few days before Diwali 18 years ago, and I'd to plug our ears all night so we could sleep! And we were on the 18th floor, so the “rockets” burst where we were. Somehow I was too tired to enjoy that either!!!!
I've realized that for me Diwali has become an inner experience as much as an outer one. Perhaps because of what you've said, Peace Seeker.
Today, on Chhoti Diwali, we've put one light in each room in the house, and outdoors. And it's already Diwali in India, so off I go to call my parents.
Wonderful Deepavali in Gaia
Thanks for sharing the Diwali Festival with us Meenakshi and for creating more light for us all. I have my own candles going too…. the more the merrier :-) Lots of LOVE to you xx
Happy Deepavali Meenakshi!
(i guess i should say it this way since my family's from Kerala, right?)
May Joy and Peace be with you,
N
Happy Diwali Meenakshi!
May Light Reign Supreme! (and it Does! :-D)
Today is my favorite celebration EVER! :-D
I was always the one who lit the dhiyas (whatever, lol) as a child, and kept them lit. Soooo many fond and lovely and house ablaze with light memories!
Today it is very dark and rainy and thundery and I enjoy having candles lighting up the darkness!
Love Youuuu!~~~<3
Love and Light, everyone!
Happy Diwali, Meenakshi
Thank you for sharing your heart
much love
Happy Deepawali Meenakshi and all
Oh Ariela, I didn't know you celebrated Diwali too! You reminded me of the homes all lit up –the terrace and courtyard and rooms, in the dark of the Diwali night.
HummingBird, thank you for coming by. I'm looking at the silk floss tree that begins to bloom in October,..and if you click on the link, there you are! ;)
Diwali in Miami isn't complete without this.
This time, as it's before Halloween, I feel that it is to focus on our inner light, take the light from tonight into the coming of those imps on Halloween. I don't know about others, but I'm facing lots of communication imps [misunderstandings, upsets and so on] that are being drawn to light!
Happy Diwali dear Meenakshi!
Joy to you and your beloved ones!
love & light~
tess
Happy Diwali Meenakshi…
i just experinced the noisy firecrackers during diwali this year and I agree with you.. it totally spoil the whole celebration… unlike those sparklers i grow up with…
Happy Diwali, Principessa. I wonder where you encountered those firecrackers! I'm so glad you visited here, because I got to have a look at yr remarkable blogs. You have a very refreshing way of looking at things. And something that really struck me –as if I'd written it–What do you want to be remembered for?
Tess, thank you for that gift of love and light! And that lovely line on your status:”a hole in a flute that God's breath moves through…' Hafiz”
Wishing all a very happy Diwali & a prosperous new year. I join you in celebration of the “Festival of Lights”.
WOW this looks so wonderful, thanks for sharing the custom :)
Love,
J
Thanks Lars…mmm; is that really you?! Janie, thank you for visiting! If I could, I'd give you some mithai to eat!
Wishing you and your family a very happy Diwali. President Obama's speech, which I really enjoyed, starts at 5:45 on this youTube about this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VRb9lGjeFY
Happy Diwali dear Meenakshi..
Thank you for sharing this celebration with us..The light and love shines so beautifully around you..may it continue to touch all in this moment..
Many blessings
Love and joy my friend..
Ange..
Happy New Year, Meenakshi!
Love and Light Blessings, Happy Diwali, Enjoy your celebration with your parents!~~<3
Thanks Ariela. Same to you!
Kathy, that's a really interesting video. And ange, such warm greetings. Thank you so much!
Happy Diwali, Meenakshi! Most interesting and fascinating what you told about your own experiences too!
Very best,
Albert
Thank you Albert.
Sending love and light, and wishing you happy Diwali Meenakshi, wonderful childhood memories.
Thank you Gael. Finally this year I was able to spend Diwali with my visiting parents; very different from how it was in childhood; till we all gathered for the group prayer; and the sound of my father's voice, now frail but with that same devotion in saying the prayers, was a gift beyond measure. And this time, they were surrounded by their grandchildren!